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C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 002498
SIPDIS NOFORN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2018
TAGS: PRELKPKOUNSCMOPSSOUK
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: UK CONFUSED BY USG POLICY ON PEACEKEEPING IN SOMALIA
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1.(C/NF) Summary. Various elements of the Foreign Office have expressed confusion about USG policy on a potential peacekeeping operation in Somalia. According to their account, the USG, in various fora, have advocated for the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to survey options for potential participants in a multinational force, for maritime escorts for World Food Program (WFP) humanitarian shipments as part of a larger PKO, and for a "blue hatted" maritime mission that incorporates security responsibilities on land. The UK sees these various initiatives as uncoordinated and disjointed. HMG would like a more wholistic approach to a Somalia PKO. That said, the UK does not have its own clear position on the way forward on peacekeeping operations in Somalia. Internal HMG discussions generally focus on priorities. End Summary.
UK MOD: CTF-150 is a CT Operation ---------------------------------
2.(C/NF) From the Ministry of Defense's perspective, CTF-150 is designed and resourced to be a counter-terrorism operation, and the mission's primary focus should remain that way. CTF-150, however, is also the framework through which the UK will contribute to counter-piracy operations. WFP escorts are a lower priority, as HMG has no spare capacity to support other missions, but will encourage other countries to resource it. HMG is concerned about coordination and effective use of resources in the various maritime operations being proposed. The UK is less than enthusiastic about an ESDP mission and wants to ensure a maritime mission is coordinated with CTF-150. In addition, HMG finds it unlikely that CTF-150 enlargement will help counter piracy, as the mission is focused on CT. The UK is also aware of the European preference to use existing national assets to take on pirates and is pressing in the EU for more military analysis of the available options.
FCO: Prefer Land Over Sea -------------------------
3.(C/F) From the FCO Somalia Desk and Peacekeeping Team's perspective, the priority is a land peacekeeping operation over a maritime one. They are keen to support the Djibouti Agreement, but question if there is enough peace to keep, wonder where the contributions will come from, and question how responsible it is to put potentially unprepared forces in such an insecure environment. In their opinion, a land PKO will have to have a very defined mandate and resources to match those strategic aims, given the size of Somalia and the complexity of the problems on the ground. They look forward to seeing the options that DPKO should be putting together for the Security Council and think that blue-hatting AMISOM should remain on the table as a potential way forward.
4.(C/NF) While the HMG priority remains a land PKO, FCO officials say the UK would not block creation of a maritime operation, as it sees piracy as a very serious problem, but HMG would not be in a position to offer any resources for it. FCO officials say they want to be realistic about both types of operations, especially as there are no TCCs apparent for a land operation. In any operation, land or maritime, the UK would like to see how the forces already in place (including AMISOM, CTF-150, and the maritime force being discussed by NATO/EU) will work together and dovetail with any proposed UN PKOs, where the troops and resources will come from, and what legal authorities these missions will have, especially for interdiction of pirates. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX TUTTLE